love makes good impressions

I'm really excited to be a part of the Blogger Love Dare that Tausha put together based on this book. It has been a really neat experience to be actively participating in daily challenges to help strengthen my marriage. There are 40 bloggers participating for each of the 40 days & 40 dares. You can catch up on the previous days here: 

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8 

You can also follow on Instagram with #bloggerlovedare

When I first read about my day's Dare, it kind of struck me a little bit how much I probably slack in this area. I realized a couple of weeks ago that Adam & I could go a whole day only kissing maybe once. And it's not when he comes home from school. 

We take time to be with one another, we talk & watch Netflix & share ice cream, and we show our love in other ways like serving one another and supporting each other. 

But a warm, enthusiastic welcome is not always at the top of the list. 

Usually by the time Adam gets home from school I'm so beyond frazzled that I barely utter a hello. 

I'm either half-asleep on the couch or bed nursing Anneli or (like today) I'm yelling at Elijah to go to his room because he just disobeyed me for the umpteenth time that day. 

So when Adam gets home, my greeting to him is basically passing off whichever kid is the grumpiest at that time and then mindlessly scurrying around to get dinner ready. 

And honestly neither of us had any complaints about it all. 

Adam shows his love to me by reaching out and taking the kids once he gets home so I can get a mini-break {to make dinner}. And I show my love for him by willingly getting up to make dinner. 

Seriously. 

I never felt a lack of love or understanding in this arrangement. 

But what I did felt was lacking was passion & enthusiasm. 

Lately I've been trying to give Adam a kiss or a hug [or really just falling into his arms from exhaustion] once he gets home. It doesn't have to be long, and usually isn't cause we are interrupted by one or both of our children, but it has made a tremendous difference in how the rest of our evening goes and the quality of our interactions. 

Through a more affectionate greeting I can show him how much I miss him, 

how much I care when he's away & when he comes back, 

how much I {quite literally} depend on him, 

and how much I truly love him, not just for helpful companionship. 

So today's Love Dare challenge is:

Love Makes Good Impressions

I challenge you to try harder to give your spouse a meaningful greeting that really reflects your love. 

Honestly, some days it can be harder than it sounds. 

Especially when you have kids and are just bone tired that you can harder muster the strength to pucker your lips or move your arms. 

But the simple gesture of a sincere, affectionate greeting can make all the difference. 

Be sure to stop by Lisa's blog tomorrow for Day 10. 
And you can find the rest of this wee's lineup here.